Urgal
Urgals were a race of sentient creatures inhabiting Alagaesia. Forced by Durza into the service of Galbatorix, they were considered evil by most humans, but were not inherently so. What they lacked in intelligence, they made up with brute force and exceptional fighting skills; they were the expendable "shock troops" of Galbatorix's army. The Urgal language was a simple, guttural language; only a few phrases were known to outsiders, and all of them were related to war and fighting. Physical description Urgals were roughly humanoid in appearance, with greyish skin, bowed legs, and thick arms. They had yellow, piggish eyes, and a pair of long, twisted horns protruding from above their ears. Urgals could be anywhere from seven to nine feet tall; an Urgal's height depended on its species. History Early days The Urgals originally come from the same land as the Elves. They followed the Elves over the sea to Alagaesia, "like ticks seeking for blood", in the words of Brom. They were looked down on by the other races, for their distasteful appearance and for their love of warfare. During the Dragon Rider era, a group of Urgals ambushed the Rider Galbatorix and killed his dragon with a poison dart. This triggered the Dragon War and the rise of the Empire. Rider War Just prior to the Rider War Durza the Shade, one of Galbatorix's most trusted servants, cast a binding spell upon the Urgal race, forcing them to serve the Empire against their wishes. Urgals fought in many major battles during the war. They captured both Arya and Eragon. They brought both their captives to the fortress city of Gil'ead. Later, when Eragon killed Durza, during the Battle under Farthen D r the spell was broken and the Urgals free. The Urgals began to distaste the Empire for the sake of the wrong which had been done to them. The hatred became so strong that a group of Urgals allied themselves with the Varden at the Battle of the Burning Plains, hoping to exact vengeance for the wrong done to them. Culture The Urgal culture was centered around warfare; the societal ranks of both males and females were decided by their ability to kill. Urgals were a tribal race, and each tribe was under the authority of a warchief. These tribes often fought each other as well as human settlement or cities.Urgals were known to fight both alone and in groups. Because their culture was based on killing, they did not focus on comfort. Their cites and towns were often underkept and unclean. This was yet another reason humans looked down on them. Just as humans hated Urgal, Urgals hated humans. Urgal legends portrayed the human race as evil and corrupt. This age long hatred led to many wars, with heroes and villains on both sides. Two ranks in Urgal society were the rank of Nar (noble) and Herndal (female leader). Individuals who bore this titles were treated with great respect. Species There were two subspecies of Urgal: Urgals The most common Urgal species, these beings were the smallest of the two kinds, yet were still stronger and more deadly then the average human. Kull The tallest and most powerful of the Urgal sects, the Kull stood nine feet tall on average, and had legs like tree trunks. At the Battle of the Burning Plains, it was a tribe of Kull that joined the Varden and served as Eragon's bodyguards. The Berzerkers were a third subspecies of Urgal. They are mentioned only in the Eragon game. Berserkers Berserkers are not really a species, they were more like an advanced job undertaken by Urgals. They cared little or nothing for themselves and their own safety, but focused solely upon getting their job done. Urgal language All the Urgal species shared the same language. Many Urgal words were deemed unpronounceable by other races. Translations *''Ahgrat ukmar'' - it is done *''Drajl'' - spawn of maggots *''Ithro Zhada'' - Rebel Doom *''Kaz jtierl trazhid'' - Do not attack *''Nar'' - a gender-neutral title of respect *''Otrag bagh'' - Circle him *''Ushnark'' - father Other Movie Version In the Eragon movie the Urgals do not have the horns, grey skin, or yellow eyes described in the books. Instead, they simply resemble large, brutish humans covered in warpaint. Game Version In the Eragon video game there are three spieces of Urgals. The Urgals resemble the Urgals from the movie. However, the game's Kull more closely fit the description of Urgals given in the book. The Berserkers were also intruduced in the game. Sverd Shelgr Version The Inheritance webcomic Sverd Shelgr features Urgals as green-skinned creatures with horns, as evidenced by Zhada and Trazhid, two Urgals from the comic. External links *An image of Kull fighting Category:Species es:Úraglo